


Be Beating, My Still Heart

by TheAntiHero



Series: The Follies and Endeavors of a Water Dragon’s Army [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-17 21:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9345413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAntiHero/pseuds/TheAntiHero
Summary: Her fingers crawled over the leather binding that hid in the depths of her book bag. Doing so much as attempting this spell so vile, abominable, and wicked would only bring further destruction to what fragments remained of her mind and soul. It could tear her to pieces. It could make her wither. It could make her blow away with the dust... But she ultimately had nothing to lose.





	1. My Heart is Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written: May, 2016.  
> Fun Fact if You Even Care: This was the first Fire Emblem story I bothered to write.

In the dreary hours of the night, when crickets chirped, the entire camp had fallen silent, yielding not a single sound besides the rustling of blankets and sleeping bags. Corrin, along side his wife, rest in his quarters, gathering energy for the next day. Velouria lay in her tent amongst her pile of 'treasures', her hand holding a giant leaf she once fondled with before dozing off. Effie, stripped of her armor, rested with a train of long snores, a lance handy in her limp hand. Having finished his secret dancing practice, Laslow embraced Selena, who was silent for once, not storming on about who was better than who. Nina too stayed in her tent, her braids sprawled out around her head; she dreamed dreams dreamy enough to have a stream of drool spill out of her smirking mouth. Shigure was the only who lay in a compact formation, his face calm, his eyes fluttered shut and his hands laced over his belly; he had completed a song before lulling to sleep.

  
Through the silence which was this typical night, anything could be heard.

  
Anything.

  
_"Et.... In corde... Meo... Ut prohibeatis... Eam... Verberans... Et... In... Corde meo..."_

His eyes tiredly fluttered open, a groggy sigh escaping his lips. In the dark, his exhausted eyes spied on a sea green glow just above his barren chest; there, he felt a pair of hands stretched out on top of him, gentle, yet firm. Puzzled, perhaps convincing himself he was dreaming, his green eyes watched as it continued, his gaze lazy.

  
But the more the chant continued, the more awake he became.

  
_"Desinunt... Ut cordis... Ut meum..."_

  
At last, like a slap to the face, his eyes widened; he brought himself up, allowing the pair of hands to slide off of him. As his brows furrowed, his fingers traveled over to the blade which lay at the side of his pallet with urgency. His heart quickened its beat, sweat beginning to spill from his forehead; adrenaline began to pump in several doses.

"Who goes there?" he hissed, tense. "Please tell me that's you, Nyx." 

He felt a hand set itself on his cheek as the green light died down, a thumb running over his jaw; it was a small hand, the small hand he recognized. Relief slowly began to wash over him the longer it lingered.

  
"No need to worry, Silas." a voice sounded. "I'm sorry to have startled you... More so for awakening you."

  
"N-No, no..." he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Don't worry... I just... What were you doing? You sounded like... You were chanting some sort of spell..."

  
"That's because I was." her soft voice replied lowly. "An anatomy spell to be more precise."

  
Silas' eyes widened, a flush spreading across his face, a burn erupting in his chest suddenly, only to disappear shortly after. He closed his eyes in hopes of adjusting to the dark, hoping to see at least a tiny bit of her face upon reopening; the endeavor was somewhat successful. He could make out the outline of her pale skin and the long, dark curtain of hair behind it. Her face, barren of ornaments like transparent veil over her jaw or a sorcerer's crown, looked just as young as always; her eyes, though, held no innocence as a child's. They were hardened like an adult's, an adult that has seen more than the average adult.

  
He couldn't help but blink strangely.

  
"...An anatomy spell?" he echoed. "For what?"

  
Before his answer came, there first came her body; it slowly leaned towards him, her chest pressing against his; blind from the dark, he was momentarily surprised to feel a pair of lips brush lightly against his. Though startled, he sighed, welcoming her inside with an embrace as he returned the gesture. They were quiet for a while, setting the night to how it belonged; when they parted, though, the ruckus of their conversation continued.

  
"I was syncing our hearts." Nyx explained calmly, pressing against him further. He leaned back, laying themselves down once more, running a hand through her hair. He was quiet for a moment, feeling her atop him, regulating his breaths; this was no difficult task, seeing that Nyx, with her petite form, was nowhere near heavy. If anything, it was his arms resting across her that added the most weight on top of him.

  
"Syncing, hmm?" he replied, starting to chuckle. "Does that mean we're going to have the same heart beat or something?"

  
"No." she replied. "Not that sort of syncing."

  
Immediately, his eyes widened, pupils shrinking. His body, strong from combat, tensed as he adjusted his gaze, looking into her face. Into those mature, yet burdened, eyes.

  
"Then you mean..." he fell silent, startled. "A... Lifeline... Spell..."

  
After nodding, she gave way to a slight moan.

  
"Indeed." a hand traveled to the left of his chest, spreading her fingers, the center of her palm pressing down. Then after, she set her head down, an ear listening to the constant beat which lay underneath. "I haven't finished it yet... But when- or if- I do, my life will depend on yours..." she raised her head again, gazing at him grimly. "When this heart stops," she motioned to her chest. "This one stops as well."

  
Speaking of hearts... His began to pound furiously.

  
"Nyx..." he started, baffled. "This... This is something we need to talk about before anything is put into motion. You're my wife now, aren't you? Part of being married is discussing important matters together... And this, if you ask me, is a very important matter." then, with his arms, he worked to pull her closer, feeling her face rest in the crook of his neck. "We're in this together. My problems, your problems..." he sighed, his eyes dulling. "Would you care to tell me why you're doing this?"

  
He heard a sharp exhale depart from her nostrils, almost a laugh. Perhaps it was a scoff?

  
"Amazing." she sighed, rolling off of him; at his side, she lay on her hip, observing him. "Someone so much younger than I... Reminding me how things work. A child of all things."

  
Silas laughed.

  
"A child?" he echoed. "That's no thing to call your husband. Have you forgotten how old I am?"

  
Nyx smiled slightly.

  
"Alright, you're no child... But you're awful close."

  
"Funny that this comes from the one who said I had the mind of someone much older. You weren't lying to me back then, were you?"

  
She smiled again, her eyes softening; gentle, she set her chin atop his chest, placing a hand next to it.

  
"I'm sorry." she whispered. "You're very right... I should have consulted you before I did anything, Silas. I've been having bad dreams lately, you see... You were brought down on the battlefield, pushed off the back of your horse by a lance driven through your stomach, dead before I could say good bye." she sighed. "The thought of losing you pains me."

  
"And... That made you want to... Die along with me?"

  
"Correct."

  
Silas' brows raised, his eyes wandering elsewhere.

  
"That... I don't know about that..." he whispered, pulling her close once again. "If I am to be killed someday in a battle, I want it to be for the sake of those I love, especially you. I would want you to live on and continue a happy, happy life."  
Silence settled between the two of them, their lips shut, but their bodies close. The crickets outside the tent chirped. What little moonlight peeked behind the clouds eased inside. They breathed steadily, steadily enough to listen to one another's beating hearts.

  
"We haven't been able to talk much lately with all that's been going on." she muttered, suddenly grim. "Such doesn't surprise me, seeing that we're standing in the midst of a war... We've been busy lately, too busy to talk. In private at least."

  
"I hate admitting that's the truth." he replied, the spark in his voice extinguished. "I promised I would be there to lend an ear, but I have not lived exemplarily up to that standard... I'm sorry. Please, let's take the time to talk about whatever's on your mind... Explain why you suddenly decided to... Make this decision..."

  
And so, the night would continue on, only with personality; the pair, husband and wife, chatted long into the darkness, their voices thick, tension rising in the air. But, of course, it wasn't nearly loud enough to stir the sleeping prince in his quarters, nor cause Velouria to accidentally crush her precious leaf in awakening, nor demand Effie rise battle-ready with her lance firmly in her grip, nor cause Selena to flick Laslow in the face while accusing him of waking her, nor make Nina groan from being yanked from what she would call 'the best dream she's had all week', nor pull open the eyes of the peaceful Shigure with his fingers laced over his belly...

  
In short, perhaps, the night had not changed at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the spell Nyx was speaking is in Latin. I am not fluent in Latin whatsoever, so if you happen to notice any grammatical errors, I would appreciate any corrections.


	2. My Heart is Old

The night-owl sort of living took a toll on the two, seeing that they slept in the next morning until it was almost midday, missing both breakfast and lunch. At least it was a good morning to sleep in; neither had any duties around the castle on their schedule, nor any appointments to tend to. The most risk they were taking was being called lazy by their fellow allies- or, on the rougher side, something worse by the lecherous Niles.

  
_"Ooh, sleeping 'till noon together?" he would gasp suddenly, then a wicked grin would spread across his lips. "What were the two of you doing all night long to cause such exhaustion? I bet I can figure it out if you gave me a couple of hints..."_

  
While Silas was away, training along side the rest of the knights, Nyx spent her time sitting around the courtyard, meditating and studying her tomes. Midori passed by every so often, practicing laps around the castle atop the puppet she was struggling to master; sometimes, when she needed a break from her work, Nyx would observe from afar, watching as the puppet's mouth opened. It tried to spit out an arrow, only to rather vomit it onto the ground. Each time, she heard a disappointed sigh as the strings wrapped around Midori's fingers flopped down.

  
There was one tome that Nyx often did not bother to touch as she studied, that being the tome which rested at the very bottom of her book bag; it was old, pages threatening to fall from its binding, a language written inside few could understand. She began to wonder before long if she was the only who could understand such texts; granted, she may have been just as old as them.

  
This frighting and ominous tome was distributed to her by Corrin several weeks ago during the monthly weapons check-up out of the blue. The old, less powerful swords were discarded, sent to the smith to be recycled. Steel lances were replaced with shiny silver. Daggers became long knives. In the midst of the chatter, orders being filled and things being exchanged, Nyx was the last their leader approached with Benny pushing a crate full of weapons behind him. Upon arriving before her, she saw his blood red eyes brighten as he gazed down at her.

  
"Ah, and you Nyx..." he proceeded to turn around, where he began to dig inside the box carefully. His hands reached to the very bottom. There, he pulled out the thing; the menacing tome. He held it so obliviously, unaware of the terrible power bound inside. "Someone found this the other day. It certainly looks like something you can put to good use; far better than me, I'm sure. I've barely learned how to use a thunder tome. You're the most proficient of us all when it comes to these, so it's fitting that it goes to you."

  
She remembered gazing at the book with shock upon having it handed to her, her pupils shrinking. Though it was slight, she felt a burn in the corner of her heart; at first, she was almost afraid to take it, fearing that she, being a capable wielder, would have something sinister happen to her- more sinister than being cursed into a body that did not grow.

  
"It's fortunate that this did not fall into the wrong hands." she muttered grimly while taking the book. As she proceeded to brush off the cover, she narrowed her eyes. "If you find any more that look similar to this, young one, I request that you heavily consider bringing it to me for the sake of our wellbeing."

  
Corrin and Benny looked at her certainly, clearly not catching on to her message. Instead, the prince smiled, nodding.

  
"Certainly. I'll try my best." he replied before walking away to his other affairs, Benny following closely after.

  
To Silas' surprise, Gunter did not chew on him as much as he had thought him to for being tardy to training that day. He grabbed the reigns of his lovely white steed before rushing to the elder, his face red and his hair messy. Gunter stood there, his arms crossed as he observed those in the field before him, sparring as though the fight was real. Upon noticing Silas draw near, he heaved a sigh before close closing his eyes.

 

"Gunter, pardon me..."

  
"Only affirming my predictions." grumbled the old man before patting him on the head. "Young men and their wives always wind up tardy the first few months into their marriage. I expected a thing such as this from you; I will be easy on you for once, but only this once. Go now and catch up."

  
It was with that, and a quick word of gratitude from the younger, Silas hopped atop his horse and rode off to the field of trainees with his blade in hand. As his eyes searched for an available partner, his guard down, there came a blur out of the blue; a blade came crashing down on his shoulder piece, creating a ear wrenching shriek. Off guard, the force shoved him off the back of his steed. With a grunt, he hit the ground, lying in both embarrassment and defeat.

  
Another horse rode next to him; it was large and powerful, masked in a cloak of armor. Upon it, there sat the elderly Gunter, a steel blade in his hand. He looked down at the younger with a disapproving scowl.

  
"Not as attentive either today, are we? Have you awoken yet?" he worked to keep the steed still. "You didn't ride off like you usually do; in fact you rode so slow even this old horse here could catch up." he switched the blade to his other palm before leaning over to make room to help him up. With his face red, Silas accreted the offer and pulled himself to his feet. "Something must not be too well with you, Silas. I can see it in both your performance thus far and your expression. That great work ethic of yours has disappeared. Where to?"

  
Silas heaved a groan, watching as his steed slowly trotted up to him. Gentle, he set a hand on the creature's muzzle and rubbed its beautiful white fur.

  
"Gunter..." he murmured over the distant shouts of the those sparring. "I feel I can trust you with personal matters..."

  
"Lord Corrin entrusted my hand as one of the few that maintains our army; I do not take such a responsibility lightly, thus I endeavor to make sure all our troops have clear minds and capable skill before each battle. Besides, I am much too old to go about starting drama anyhow. Do tell, I am listening."

  
Silas became quiet, hesitant almost, as he formulated his words; the green in his eyes began to dull.

  
"It's about last night, you see..."

  
"Ah." Gunter mumbled, closing his eyes softly. "Spousal mishaps already..."

  
"No, no, it wasn't exactly a mishap... Or an argument either... I just..." he paused, looking the soft green grass beneath his feet. "Maybe it was a mishap after all. My wife, Nyx, tried to cast a lifeline spell on herself to where her heart would beat so long as mine did..."

  
Intrigued, Gunter raised a brow.

  
"I see. I hope she did not try to do the same vise versa."

  
"No. Just her... Just herself. Not to me." he sighed. "By sheer luck I awoke and was able to stop her from completing the spell. I can't... I couldn't let her finish... I didn't want her to."

  
"Be there a reason?"

  
"Of course! If she did finish the would mean she would die if I died. I can't live with that."

  
The old man chuckled suddenly, throwing him off guard.

  
"How do you know? So long as you're around, she'd be around; when you're dead, you won't be alive to be sorrowful, isn't that right? She's maintained herself all the years she's roamed the land with the help of nobody, so it would only make sense that she has the right to do whatever she wishes with the life she has worked for." he smiled. "Consider it a blessing to have a woman so dedicated to you, so willing to follow you even into the ominous hands of death."

  
"That's the thing, though." grumbled Silas. "She shouldn't have to feel that dedicated to me- I'm the one dedicated to her. I want her to live happily, Gunter, whether I'm here or not."

  
Gunter's smile fell, his old, tired eyes droopy. After a brief while of gazing at him, he motioned to the horse without its passenger.

  
"Silas," he sounded calmly. "Take up your steed and walk with me please; I believe it is best I spoke some words of understanding of you."

  
It was then, as they wandered around the training field atop the backs of creatures, Gunter gave he young Silas sound words if wisdom.

  
"Your wife is no ordinary woman, Silas, I'm sure your much aware. She was born seemingly ages ago, back when times were different, when kingdoms were ruled by kings whose names are forgotten. She displayed an exemplary prowess for fell magic then, amusing all who payed audience to her; not only was she impressive due to her the skills she could hone, but also by the age at which she could hone. Of course, though, one fateful day she dabbled to deeply into the indelible world of darkness out of the foolish, attention-hungry attitude of youth. She was carried away with her inexperience, attempting a spell so vile. Rather than executing properly, the spell failed, having many innocents killed, excluding herself due to a high resistance. There was a toll on her part, through; her body was cursed, bound to never mature besides her mind as it gathered experience. Her own family, disgusted, disowned her, leaving her to the mercy of the merciless world. Many, especially those who resided near the site of incident, would not dare draw near to her, much less offer asylum. Out of curiosity, Silas, do you know what she commonly refers herself as?"

  
"...Yes. A monster."

  
"Such a form of self-hatred could never bubble into existence overnight; like a garden, it takes years of tending. I have sat many times to pay ear to her tales of years past. They're all so very dark, so full of fear and inkiness; so dark, in fact, I feel paralyzed at the end of each, chills rushing down my tired spine. For a while, after I returned here in this castle, I was the only that would listen to her. Surely now, you can see why one such as herself, one who deems herself a monster, would see no hope in building more relationships than the ones she has already?"

  
"I've considered that plenty of times today, including the moment my eyes opened from sleep. I took her hand in marriage because I wanted to break that curse that held her captive, but if I failed, I would always be by her side, that way she would never be alone when others would not accept her for the mishaps placed upon her... But that shouldn't be her entire life. No, there is still so much to live for. There are so many kind people out there like you or Corrin that do not see her as others do... You are not prejudice. There are more than just us, she just needs to discover them."

  
"...Silas, boy... Neither one of us knows how many years your wife has counted as her own, but I know the number to be great; far more than mine. Why, I can only imagine the exhaustion. I am preparing to stagger into mid-seventies and I have never felt so tired in my life... Mentally and physically. She may not have the energy to continue should you fall. Building and maintaining relationships with people depletes energy quickly, Silas; of course, you would not know that being so young and full of strength. Take a tired soul, weary of the beatings of a long life... Should it lose the last thing precious to it, it would surely decide soon after it is time to rest, having nothing more to live for."

  
The conversation between he and Gunter led Silas to make a decision, a decision he put into action later on when night fell. By this time, many had returned to their tents to retire, lending the darkness its right of silence; of course, here was still those that preferred to stay out late such as the graceful Laslow, practicing his dancing in a secluded place, or Odin, who would go on and on about how cool he thought he looked in the pale moonlight in the form of a lengthy monologue. Effie, who adopted the new motto of 'train hard, eat hard, sleep hard', lived up to her word, being one of the first to crash into a state of slumber. Beruka, with a small candle light at her side in the shelter of her tent, spent the majority of her alone time to skim her eyes over an anatomy book she'd bought in town. Of course, she wouldn't be alone for too long, seeing that Camilla, the woman she retained, soon came to visit her.

  
Silas, lying in the tent which stood secluded a little ways from the camp, awaited the arrival of Nyx. His arms stretched out over his head, muscles tired from half a day's worth of intense training from Gunter. That old bard was not considerate in sparring, for he relieved his blade only to spare his opponent from death; Silas was in for very much to take up on that old man's offer to partner up after their conversation.

  
The steady glow of the lantern at his side would grant his visibility, which he used to observe his calloused hands out of boredom during his waiting. The more time that passed, the more worried he became, eventually rising from his pallet, tempted to throw on a shirt and investigate the case of his missing bride. Luckily, before he could take such actions, the entrance to the tent fluttered open, making way for the small form of a girl. Her eyes were tired, but took the time to brighten as she greeted him. Relieved, he smiled, his gaze glowing as well.

  
"Funny. I'm usually the one that's late."

  
"That you are." she agreed, making her way to the center of the tent; upon arriving, she worked to undress herself, reliving her head of a sorcerer's circlet, her mouth of a clear veil. "I'm sorry, Silas; I was too deep in meditation to realize what time it was."

  
He was too engrossed in watching her to formulate a response, his cheeks rosy and his pupils growing large. Through the confusion, as she slipped into a nightgown, he sighed, propping his head on his fist.

  
"I guess you'll have to make up for it with something..." he smiled slightly. "I hope you're not too tired for what I had in mind."

 

She scoffed.

  
"Lecherous child." her hand gently went to take the lantern; the hatch opened, and with a simple wick of breath, the tent succumbed to darkness, hiding the two from each other's eyes. She approached him, running a hand over his forehead afterwards; she planted a note of affection. "It's been a while since we decided to have a night like this. I'm surprised at how much time has passed. Would you answer me a question?"

  
Though beginning to lose himself to a state of euphoria, he nodded slightly.

  
"Mhmm." he moaned.

  
"Do you feel completely comfortable doing that sort of thing to this sort of body?"

  
The euphoric state dissipated, his eyes widening with surprise. Slowly, he turned his head up, gazing at her strangely before pulling himself up. He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers and pulled her into a tight embrace.

  
"If it's your body, I don't mind... Just yours." he answered simply as he pulled his face away, his voice untainted. "You know... I had a chat with Gunter today."'

  
"Instead of training? That explains all the energy you have tonight."

 

He nodded slightly, laughing for a moment.

  
"It really had me thinking about... Last night..."

  
"Mmm. I see. What have you been thinking?"

  
"I... I'm sorry, Nyx... I know you're much wiser than I am, but..." he sighed. "I don't feel comfortable letting you complete that spell."

  
There was a pause between them, the mercy of silence settling between them. Silas became worried, believing that anger was gradually rising in her quietness. In fact, he was almost too worried to yank his head back to observe her face. Luckily, with what little courage was left inside him, Silas pulled away, gazing into her eyes; they were soft, calm almost. The peace before a storm perhaps? Perhaps...

  
"Y-You're not angry about that... Are you?"

  
"Not at all. Disappointed, yes, but angry, no." she replied. "I know that anybody would hate to be forced to do something they don't agree with; I wouldn't make you of any exception. Just keep in mind that this puts more stress on you; if you aren't careful when on the battlefield and have yourself killed, I will be very angry with you."

  
Silas laughed slightly.

  
"That sounds like something Keaton would say. Alright. If you're going to be that way, you can certainly expect the same from me." he brushed his lips on hers again.

  
"I'm not the one on the front line." she replied. "No armor covers this body; one careless hit and I probably won't recover. Neither Effie nor Benny would probably let me past the front line anyhow... What's your excuse?"

  
"You got me. Looks like I have to be extra careful from here on out; I'd hate to see you angry with me..."

  
She adjusted herself, comfortably leaning against him.

  
"As well you should." she added, smiling slightly as she burrowed her face into his chest. "Come on now, let's get to the good part of the night."

  
And thus, the two halted their conversation and moved on to other activities, activities that would surely have Niles in a fit of howls had he been near. Nobody, to their favor, was near, though; those in their tents stayed there, whether they be asleep or awake still. The chips of crickets and night owls masked their sounds as though they were friends lending a hand. It was, of course, another pleasant bonding experience which left them smiling upon finishing, laying snugly against one another as they recovered. Steadying his breath, Silas gazed down at his partner, observing her calm, perhaps sleeping, form. His eyes warmed, leading him to quietly ease down to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  
"Thank you." he whispered. "I promise... I promise I'll try my hardest to keep you at peace. I'll try my hardest to protect both of us with the most my strength can handle... I... I love you very much, Nyx. Please don't ever forget that."

  
Steady, she reached up, stroking his cheek as if to say she agreed.


	3. My Heart is Broken

A few weeks later, on a dark and dreary day, the entire army marched in a line, trekking down a dirt trail to their destination; a clearing, so they heard, was in the midst of the forest, housing a camp of rouge soldiers. It was a camp far too close for comfort, so Corrin believed; his command demanded that actions were to be taken immediately to drive them away.

  
Fearing the force against them would be great, Corrin assigned the majority of the army to follow his lead that muggy day; of course, with pleasure, it was the majority that trailed after him.

  
Silas' steed trotted along, located in the back of the pack with the rest of the calvary; the only horses missing would be the ones which trotted up front, carrying Leo and Xander, accompanying Corrin and Camilla, who rode atop her wyvern. The only sight for Silas to watch would be the gang of swordsman before him, chatting up a storm over the sound of flags waving in the wind. At his side flew the low riding Shigure atop his pegasus, humming a lovely song as he twirled around his lance.

  
"Oh, Shigure boy, if I didn't ride atop this horse I'd gladly perform a dance to compliment that lovely tune of yours." announced Laslow, who rode behind him with a bow around his chest. He sighed, smiling. "Ah well, I suppose we could get together another time."

  
"Perhaps once this battle is won? We can put on a show for our troops as we celebrate back at the mess hall." answered Shigure softly, beginning to grin. Nina, walking a little ways ahead, turned around suddenly, a smirk spreading across her lips.

  
"Ooh, lots of confidence, Shigure." she murmured slyly as she fondled with the string of her bow. "I like that."

  
Silas was far too engrossed in listening to the conversation to even notice the neighbor walking at his steed's side. Only when he turned his head did he see her, smiling then after. There, the top of her head barely reaching the bottom of the saddle, he saw Nyx, her footsteps light, her hands hanging onto a book bag.

  
"Ah, I didn't see you there." smiled the boy. Without another thought, he held his hand down to her. "Can I offer you a ride until we get to the battlefield?"

  
Nyx observed his offer before gladly taking it, allowing him to pull her weightless body onto his saddle. There, she sat herself comfortably in front of him, the her back pressed against the his front compactly.

  
"Thank you. It's a lovely view from up here."

  
"Certainly."

  
At that moment, Niles rode up, chuckling lightly as he observed the two.

  
"Ooh, lookey what we have here; don't you remember what Lord Corrin said about love on the battlefield?"

  
"Oh hush, child; we're not battling... Not yet at least." Nyx grumbled, closing her eyes once adjusting herself into comfort.

Niles, continuing to smile, shrugged, heaving a tsk.

  
"Temper, temper." he chuckled. "Yes ma'am, this child shall hush."

  
And thus, the trek continued, Nyx slipping into a light state of slumber between the legs of her husband; many who passed spied upon them, complimenting on their 'cuteness'. Elise gushed over them the most, biting her fingers to contain an adoring squeal as she rode by. Silas took all the praise with a flush, never being one to love the attention of many.

  
Unfortunately, these were the no-so-troublesome troubles of the back of the army; at the front, much more serious matters went down. The head of the pack was starting to finish scaling a decent sized hill, the dark gray clouds being all they could see ahead of them; it wasn't too far from the crown when Effie, the very head, came to an abrupt stop, holding out her lance to prohibit any from going further.

  
"Hold it." she announced roughly. "Do you hear?"

  
Corrin, alongside Leo, paused as well, his ears raising curiously. Sure enough, as those around them silenced, a noise could be heard; the clinking if metal on metal, the shouts of rallied soldiers. Without a single doubt, there came an opposing army straight towards them.

  
"Curses!" Leo hissed suddenly, clenching a fist in frustration. "They must have had a watchman on patrol; perhaps a falcon night knight soaring high above our oblivious heads. They know we're here and are prepared to receive us."

  
Corrin, with a frown, fixed his eyes forward.

  
"Right over this hill, no doubt..." he mumbled. "So much for a surprise attack to put us at an advantage."

  
"Let us charge head on then." announced Xander grimly. "It is cowardly to ambush unarmed men anyhow. If we go into battle, we go into battle with dignity in the name of Nohr; I have confidence casualties on our end will be few, seeing that Gunter was pleased to inform that our knights are more seasoned than ever. If we play our cards smart, we may emerge victors without any casualties at all."

  
"Dream on." retorted Camilla, returning from the sky. "We're pit against plenty of odd: wyverns and pegasi as far as the eye can see."

  
Groaning, Corrin trotted just a ways up the hill, peering over the crown; the sight made his eyes narrow.

  
"We can pull through, I believe." he said. "Get the archers up here, pronto. Effie, you and Benny lead the Great Knights and the Wolfssegners in the foreground. Make sure no one touches our arrows; they'll be a vital piece in determining our victory."

  
Unfortunately, Silas just so happened to be a Great Knight, armored from head to toe. When Leo rode down the line of blades and arrows, summoning those who fit the criteria of the front line, Silas felt his eyes dull when he looked down to the girl sitting before him. He sighed before nudging her awake. Responding groggily, her eyes slid open with a moan, her glare wandering around in a daze. After a moment of recollection, her attention met his.

  
"It's time." the boy murmured. "I'm being called up front." he saw her eyes dull suddenly; such led him to frown, then place his lips on hers briefly. "Be careful back here."

  
"Don't do anything impulsive." she grumbled strictly. "And watch out for anything that could possibly happen." she too gifted him with a peck before he assisted her in sliding off the back of the steed. Standing in the wake of the dirt kicked up by the hooves of what seemed like a stampede, Nyx stood alone, brushing dust off her shoulders.

  
Her eyes narrowed as she adjusted her hold on her book bag.

  
The clouds grew drearier, suspecting the oncoming massacre soon to take place. Corrin noticed this, observing it with a grimace. He studied their set up then with tension building in his shoulders; strangely, he felt very on edge.

  
"Alright." he announced strongly, pacing in front of the troops. "As you may already know, I request that you spare as many lives as possible... Nohr is not the wicked kingdom many perceive it to be, thus we must act as such. Show them our mercy."

  
Before he could continue, though, Leo approached him, a frown on his lips.

  
"Brother." he mumbled. "Forgive me... But I must advise against this philosophy for once. As great as such an idea sounds, we are in no position to be shedding mercy; if we do so, we risk endangering the lives of our troops later on when many of these men, recovered after a retreat, come back with a bigger, undoubtably stronger, army at their side. Heed my words, it would be a mistake to do such a thing now."

  
Corrin glared at him, his red eyes cold with frustration; at last, though, he sighed, yanking his head to gaze elsewhere.

  
"Alright, Leo." he grumbled. "I'm trusting you." he lifted his head, gazing at his army once again, raining his voice. "Disregard what I said; kill at will. My only request would be that you are humane in doing so."

  
He heard cries from the troops, waving their weapons in the air menacingly. Many of the cries rallied others, pledging their allegiance to the kingdom of Nohr; others, like Peri, screamed for blood. It was with that settled, they charged forth, pouring down the side of the hill towards those that opposed. It wasn't even a moment later when the sky cried arrows; they soared across the land, striking through the thick hull of unsuspecting wyverns, their riders screaming as they fell from deadly heights. Laslow and Niles, rushing side by side, strategically took turns pulling back their shots, watching the other's unseen half of six. Effie, slowly trekking along the battle field in her armor, precisely aimed her javelin, missing only once or twice.   
In the skies above, Shigure soared towards target after target, giving his passenger, the steady-handed Nina, ample space to shoot; sometimes at point blank range. It was thanks to them, those on the ground had less to worry about besides the rain of winged beasts. The pair Wolfssegners, father and daughter Keaton and Velouria, roared amongst the shrills of metal beating metal; the axes and spears of the enemy were useless against the thickness of their skin, which bore only a couple of shallow cuts. Their claws were barren as they thundered up to each knight that stood in their path and jmping at impressive heights to swipe at the enemies above.

  
As he stood tensely in the midst of the struggle, Corrin began to chew on his lip bottom lip, eyeing Leo at his side.

  
"There's more than we originally bargained for." he mumbled, unsure. "The dark clouds must have been hiding soldiers. We should have taken the time to plan for unexpected reinforcements."

  
Leo grew a confident smirk.

  
"That's why the mages should move and clear out what's on the ground; our troops may be strong, but the armor on the knights stops at nothing besides good old fashioned magic. Have them separate and take liable cover throughout the battle field."

  
"Agreed. Get on out there and I'll handle the rest." watching his brother ride off into the calamity, Corrin cleared his throat, cupping his ears around his mouth. "Tome wielders! Find a partner and spread out! Target what the others cannot bring down!" it was with that said, Corrin finally unsheathed his blade, The Grim Yato, and charged into the battle to investigate the wellbeing of his army.

  
Having heard the command, Nyx straightened, a frown on her lips. Upon noticing a horse start to pass her by, the rider being Corrin's other sister, Elise, she shouted.

  
"You there, young one! Might I request a ride to the front?"

  
Elise grinned, offering a hand.

  
"Whoa, the front? Sounds exciting! Let's get a move on!"

  
Through the shouts of the soldiers engaging one another, Elise's steed rushed around, weaving around any bodies or attackers that dared to swoop down from above; Elise was attentive, so she showed when she quickly ducked each time an axe nearly met her skull. As the attacker flew away, through, she was sure to take out a tome resting handily in her lap, then send a fireball chasing after it. Seldom did she miss, celebrating each victory with a taunt.

  
Upon arriving to their intended destination, Nyx was quick to slide off, the toes of her boots crashing to the ground. Leaving no time to spare, Elise was turning around, taking out a staff.

  
"I need to keep everyone healthy in the mid ground; stay safe up here!" she rode off without another word, leaving Nyx alone. Well, Nyx wasn't completely alone; just a few feet ahead of her stood Effie, taking the ends of axes and lances as though it was nothing and hurling javelins as though they were weightless. Quickly, the defenseless Nyx darted to her cover and dug inside her book bag upon arriving.

  
"Fancy seeing you here." exclaimed Effie over the sounds of quarreling. "Need something?"

  
"Yes." Nyx replied briefly. "Keep me safe and I won't let the knights get any closer than they are now."

  
"Sounds like a good deal to me. It's like fighting myself when those guys show up; almost nothing can bring them down."

  
Since then, the battle progressed smoothly, for the Nohrian army slowly gaining the winning hand with each passing minute. Their enemy, quite evidentially, was far less experienced than they, both in individual soldiers and battle tactics. The victor slowly became obvious. On Nyx's side, there wasn't much to worry about besides keep her eye in the occasional sky knight that would attempt to dive in on her, but it was Effie that did most of the watching, saving her from each and every threat that rose into play.

  
Such was the case until a gang of agile mercenaries charged into the mix, their swords raised in the air, ready to be decorated by the splotches of blood. Upon noticing this, Effie, grimaced and began backing towards Nyx as she cast one last sphere of fire. 

"Great." the knight grumbled. "Those guys are quick; they won't be able to do anything to me, but you're a different story. If they have us surrounded, I don't know if I'll be quick enough to be able to protect you efficiently. You need to get out of here until they're gone, got that?"

  
Before Nyx could say anything in response, though, a pair came charging in on their feet, silver blades in their grip.

  
"Yeah, right!" one shouted, the elder of the two. "Stay where you are; they aren't getting even close to the rest of us! We got 'em covered!"

  
It was none other than Selena accompanied by her daughter, Soleil. The younger, giving the duo a toothy grin and a wave, let out a short laugh.

  
"Let's end this with a smile, whatddaya say? Come on! For good luck!"

  
"Don't leave me out!" shouted another visitor, riding in with the thunder of hooves. Enter Silas, his armor baring scratches, but yet to wither. In his hand was a battle ready blade. As he rode by, he smiled at his wife, disappearing into the crowd of soldiers just seconds later; it was the crowd that soon became mowed down like tall grass in the summer.

  
Effie smirked, peering over her shoulder.

  
"Change of plans. Keep on doing what you were doing, Nyx." but Nyx did not move, nor agree. In fact, she stood still, horrified. Confused, Effie leaned closer, observing her unsettled face. "Um... Something the matter?"

  
"Look ahead of us." Nyx murmured, clearly intimidated.

  
All Effie had to do was look such a way to pause, standing with shock written on her face; there came a hoard- a typhoon almost- of reinforcements, many of which being the powerful beasts of the sky. From their mouths came shrills of battle, their riders armed with axes and lances. On the ground came at least a dozen groups of tome-wielding sorcerers.

  
Corrin received word of the oncoming forces just moments after it came into view by Xander, who rode up to his side in a troubled mess. Taking the news roughly, Corrin clenched his fists, feeling the bridge of his nose wrinkling.

  
"They must have sent the weak out first to tire us..." he grumbled. "We're up against a bigger and smarter force than we bargained for."

  
"The mages will make trash out of our knights, little prince." Xander said grimly. "And the legions of wyverns will destroy all that can counter the mages. In short, I'm afraid, the outcome of this battle has turned an immediate one eighty."

  
Corrin growled.

  
"Then we need to retreat." he said.

  
"That is no longer and option; observe our environment. Though the clouds hinder a complete view, I know us to be in a valley. We would not be able to escape in time before the wyverns engage with us; even with the absence of the mages, there is only so much our knights and archers can handle, this being far out of their league."

  
"Then... What are we to do then?"

  
"Continue, and perhaps push through somehow. If we can send the fastest cavaliers, we might be able to dent the number of mages we are up against... But, I am sorry, Corrin, I perceive the death toll to be high at our expense."

  
There was silence between them, their ears listening to the continuing sounds of war; Corrin's hands began to quiver with worry, his head sinking.

  
"This... This can't be happening..."

  
"We either surrender and likely be killed for it, or we continue on in hopes of a miracle. You pick, brother."

  
Slowly, Corrin nodded, his face heavy with grief; at last, though, he lifted his gaze, frowning bitterly, his eyes welling with emotion.

  
"You're right." he said. "We're going to at least die trying. Put your plan into motion and we'll remain back here to reinforce if it is ever needed."

  
"Very well then. I shall be back, brother." on his ending note, Xander rode away, gathering cavaliers, leaving the devastated Corrin behind.

  
And, sure enough, it was over just as soon as it started.

  
Silas rode after Xander, the leader of the stampede, as they charged into the hoard of magic wielders. Just a few gentle swipes would easily take one down, but it was a matter of staying alive with all that homed towards them; fire, lightening... Terrible elements used at man's disposal. Nyx, along with other mages, joined in, struggling to outnumber the forces of their opponents.

  
Wyverns swirled about their heads, screeching, diving down in attempts to scoop a kill; on several different occasions, they came frighteningly close to succeeding. With several explosions of Nyx and Odin's more advanced tones, the number of mages dwindled; Silas was the one who would bring down the last.

  
Now, with one threat gone, it was the wyverns the lot had to worry about. They had strayed far from the army, this small group, and such worried them. Always having a plan, Xander dodged one attack after another of the beasts and eventually calling out to them.

  
"Any who are not atop a steed should board the nearest! We are going to make a swift retreat back to the midground and take cover behind the armored units! Make haste I beseech!"

  
Though Nyx would have loved to join Silas on the back of his steed, he was not the closest to her; rather, it was the elderly Gunter, who had already extended his humble hand to her. Having no choice, she took it before they swiftly made their down the battlefield.

  
The stampede rode along, the thunder of hooves shaking the ground; behind them was a cloud of winged beasts with battle hungry masters, their weapons born and prepared to strike should they slow.

  
And it was Silas who rode along at the very back of the herd, struggling to keep up.

  
"Hmm." grumbled Gunter while looking back. He saw that Nyx's eyes maintained a constant watch over her husband; he did not want to say what she deserved to know. "Silas' steed, Sola, has never been the fastest. She needs to quicken."

  
He felt Nyx tense.

  
"Surely it will." she whispered. "Surely it will speed up... If it does not... The wyverns will catch up..." quickly, she took action, digging out a tome from her book bag; a simple fire spell ought to do the trick she was sure. From the stampede came balls of flames, all shooting towards the sky; it was by now, the armada had begun easing closer to the ground, preying on the one that strayed from the herd. Nyx would shoot them down before they would draw too close with their axes or lances, to Silas' fortune.

  
Silas did not take well to his visitors, such was why he beckoned his ride to quicken by driving his heel sharply into its side, urgency in his eyes. His grip on the reigns tightened, his eyes constantly darting behind him to maintain watch on his pursuers; to his dismay, they only grew closer and overwhelmed Nyx, his only back up.

  
To make things worse, the riders only grew smarter.

  
The next thing Silas knew, javelins rained down on him, evoking frightened shouts. He weaved through them, barely missing their sharp edges, pushing the steed to its limit; Nyx, watching from afar, felt her heart burn. Quickly, she replaced the fire tome in her book bag to exchange it with a more powerful spell. She had yet to touch the forbidden which lay at the very bottom. This new spell would likely clear more room for Silas to breathe, but it was lengthy and difficult to complete. She had to make each and every shot count, lest a mistake would be costly... Too costly.

  
She breathed the words quietly. Gunter watched, his eyes dulling, losing hope. Wind began to pick up, carrying her hair, a certain warmth gathering at the center of her hands. Silas, running further behind, continued to dodge, knowing that any moment now, one would finally get the job done.

  
A beam shot across the battle field, embossing vision to red; it zoomed past with a shrill, bound to hit...

  
But it missed.

  
And shortly afterwards, one lucky javelin rained from the sky, striking Silas in the back, shattering his armor, and driving through his belly. Limp, he dropped his lance as he fell forwards, landing on the ground with the center of the javelin inside him.

  
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, time slowed.

  
She could not make out color, nor move her body.

  
The world closed in on her.

  
She felt tight... So very tight... And uncomfortable.

  
A shout boiled deep in her throat, tears threatening to build in her eyes.

  
She let them both lose as she leapt from the back of Gunter's horse despite all the objections which surrounded her. Her feet hit the ground, a sharp pain erupting up her leg; perhaps she twisted her ankle, but little did she care. She dashed through the stampede, departing from the back, and rushed towards the body of the fallen.

  
Her heart pounded furiously.

  
Before she could reach her ideal location, though, a body of armor shoved itself before her; the end of an axe met it just in time.

  
"Stand back!" the armor roared before driving its lance into the attacker. Nyx would soon discover her savior to be none other than Effie, who looked over her shoulder, her gaze furious. "Which one was it? Which one? I'll take him out with a single throw! I'll put every ounce of strength within me into it!"

  
Nyx's eyes dulled, standing in the cover of the woman. Her head sunk, and, careless, she sauntered past her, limping from her sore ankle.

  
"I know... Exactly which one it was..." she murmured, making her way to her husband. "I know... Because I can see him right now..."

  
She dropped to her knees beside him, laying eyes on his sweaty face. A frown was on his lips, his eyes lightly shut; he lay on his side, one half of the javelin in front of him, the other half behind him, his hand laying limply over the site of blood. For once, she payed no mind to the certain death swirling around her head; she was still, lost in the world of her thoughts, lost in the senses of the tips of her petite fingers. They ran through his hair, still messy from a morning after sweet, sweet slumber.

  
Her eyes, no longer housing emotion, dulled gradually.

  
At last, she leaned down to plant one final kiss on his forehead, lingering as she stroked his cheek; with her lips over the site of her affection, her tongue became sharp.

  
"Foolish child." she hissed as her eyes wandered up to the sky. "I know you do what you do because there is war..." her other hand, quivering, reached into her book bag, traveling deep, deep down... Her fingers crawled over the leather binding of the abomination which lay at the very bottom. In an instant, her pupils shrunk. _"But see that I crave vengeance! Be gone from here and never return!"_ the tome floated out from her bag as a gust of wind swept over the unsuspecting land; to the dismay of all those who observed, the skies blackened as though night had fallen. A ring of fire burst from the ground, circling the mage and the body, winds carrying her long curtain of her hair.

  
Effie, who watched from a distance, grew a troubled expression as she slowly backed away. The alarmed calvary paused to observe and distanced themselves. Gunter, watching with fright, demanded that they back even further. From a distance, Corrin observed, his brows furrowing in concern. Waiting to receive the stampede, the rest of the army watched as well, unable to explain a thing.

  
"W... What could possibly be going on over there?"

  
"Fell magic." Leo grumbled, approaching his brother's side. His eyes were clouded with worry. "Never have I seen any firsthand, having only read of them from books... That being because its power is too devastating to be practiced." he grit his teeth. "Brace yourself; whether the wielder be friend or foe, we may be in for something rough."

  
A pillar of flames shot into the air with a roar of a thousand lions, bound to be seen miles upon miles away. The ground cracked, breaking open wide; upon feeling the earth tremble, the army parted, worried they would fall inside the newly made gorge. The horses began to bray furiously, growing reckless. Xander, at the head, turned to Gunter.

  
"Explain to me! What is happening?"

  
"We're not listening to the horses! That's what's happening!" The old man roared. "Someone go retrieve the knight and flee! Get away!"

  
Not a thing could be heard in the center of the ring of fire besides the roar of an inferno; she sat in the midst, feeling the power course through her veins, her mind traveling to high places. Her breaths slowed, heaving, drawing out into long sighs and gasps. Her hands were too stiff to move, fingers unable to bend. Her mouth moved on its own, muttering tongues of old... She almost became lost in another world, forgetting where she was, who she was, why she was...

  
And most of all, why she was doing this.

  
Several fires more spilled from the depths of the earth, escaping through the opening, shooting high into the air. The black skies rained bolts of lightening, striking any of the wyverns before they had a chance to escape. One of the first targets of the storm was one who flew along, his hand missing a javelin stolen by a body.

  
Flames circled around the rider, leaving him no room to escape; they closed in on him quickly, constricting him; with an explosion which lit up the sky, he disappeared, not a thing remaining besides a cloud of rising smoke. The ground quaked, dirt catching fire as though it were dry grass, stray bolts of lightening striking deep craters. Other bolts, much more fortunate in their endeavors, crashed upon the winged beasts now struggling to flee the battlefield; they were fried, floating to the ground in the form of ashes.

  
Her tongue grew sharper with each kill, her pupils shrinking smaller as rage flooded into her body; her whispers became groans, her groans became statements, her statements became screams, and her screams became bellows which could be heard for miles and miles, thirsty for blood.

  
But soon enough, there was no blood more to satisfy that thirst.

  
The storm ended with one final explosion, heat sweeping across the land; it was crippled to ashes as far as the eye could see, but where the army stood, as though there had been drawn a line, the ground was untouched.

  
Her breaths became heaves as the winds died, her eyes rolling tiredly into the back of her head. Her fingers, stiff with rage just moments before, bent loosely as they dropped to her sides. The tome, once floating before her, fell, landing on its bindings before shutting. She was the last to fall as the circle of flames cooled, where her head landed in the still chest of the boy laying beneath her; gasping for breath, she remained still, watching ashes float by to cloud her hazing eyes. Each breath left her needing more, but constricting it further...

  
The landscape around her began to blacken as darkness closed in on her vision, her lungs slowing. At last, lying next to the body of her fallen husband, Nyx ceased to move.

  
Several minutes later, if not an hour, Leo finally nodded his head, believing the storm had passed; being the careful and meticulous, he demanded they wait before heading out to observe the damage, fearing the anatomy of the spell was that of a hurricane; hurricanes had eyes in the center, a place of solace before the wreckage continued. When it took forever for something else to happen, however, he finally allowed them admission into the land of ashes.

  
The army trudged through the ground, looking with both terror and awe as they used their hands to shield airways from the floating ashes. Benny, falling slightly behind, bent over to scoop a handful of white; his eyes softened.

  
"It's... It's like snow."

  
"Except it's _way_ warmer!" exclaimed Elise excitedly as she kicked up a storm. "We can have some fun in this stuff, big bro!"

  
Corrin, the one she spoke to, paid her no mind; he kept on, following Effie and Gunter, who requested his company as they trudged through the wreckage. He could have sworn they had a destination in mind based upon the way they walked. Leo, at his side, heaved a deep and heavy breath.

  
"Awesome." he whispered. "To think one tome could cause such... Such massive catastrophe. I'm frightened that such a thing even exists, regardless of whose hands it is in the mercy of."

  
"It was the miracle we were hoping for." Corrin muttered grimly. "I don't want to think about how things would have ended had this not happened..."

  
"It came at a price, milord." Gunter spoke up suddenly. There, he and Effie stopped, looking down to the ground. Puzzled, and curious, Corrin approached their sides, peering over their shoulders; his pupils narrowed in shock.

  
In the midst of a circle, completely untouched by ash, he saw Silas, who lay still, the tips of his hair blown by the wind. Beside him lay a motionless Nyx, her hand over his cheek, hinting at longing. The sight brought devastation to his face, his mouth gaping open in shock; he tried to utter words, but ultimately failed. He quivered as he stepped towards them, falling to his knees.

  
"Silas..." he croaked. "...Nyx..." 

Gunter, off of his steed, approached his side; there, he reached down to the duo with a pair of fingers; he placed them on their necks, knelling with a frown.

  
"Silas is the only who has fallen." he grumbled. "Our lady still has life within her, though barely clinging to it."

  
"It looks like she is the culprit for this destruction. Fell magic is notorious for tiresome recoil, so I've read." Leo added grimly. "If my source material is correct, she'll be out for weeks, if not months."

  
In a slow movement, Corrin set a hand over his eyes, his teeth pressing tightly against one another. Though he hid them, tears slipped down his cheeks.

  
"She's alive then..." he whispered with grief.

  
"Pitiful thing." Gunter mumbled. In doing so, he gently took the girl into his arms. "She'd probably be better off dead."

  
Xander, approached them, clearing his throat.

  
"Take all the wounded and dead immediately; the battle is won. We're leaving."

  
And so, with Effie carefully lugging the motionless Silas and sorrow swirling in the air, they abandoned the circle untouched by the lick of flames, leaving nothing behind.


	4. My Heart is Mourning

In a twist of both fortune and sadness, it had been a long while since a memorial service was held in memory of a fallen troop; on the unfortunate side of things, the service was to be held for Silas, confirmed dead. Corrin was stricken with immense grief for the longest of times, but had yet to order the funeral to be held; he commanded it should not be started until the day Nyx awoke, believing that it was she that deserved to attend the most.

  
The only thing was, Nyx had not awoken for a very, very long time. Weeks flew by, each having her resting in the exact same position as the week before. Felicia checked on her often, daring to attempt to rouse her with a damp cloth over her forehead; each try left her barren of favorable results, seeing that Nyx did not budge.

  
Many strayed from her tent, the tent which was a bit secluded from camp; heck, they avoided it like the plague, fearsome of the power she displayed so long ago. Her only two visitors, one of them being Felicia as mentioned before, came rarely due to work. Corrin was too overwhelmed to check on her as much as he liked to. When he did, however, he would carefully push open the entrance, then sit next to her as he closely observed her resting face.

  
She was still, her chest rising and falling slowly, her face feverishly red. When he set a hand over to check her temperature, though, she felt perfectly normal. Sometimes, when he was feeling scared for her wellbeing, he would talk to her, hoping she would answer through her sleep. It wasn't too much longer until he began to wonder if her eyes would ever slide open, her lips uttering forth words.

  
Perhaps, he considered, it was for the better should that be the case.

  
But such was not the case; one dark night, when Felicia brought a cup of water inside the tent, Nyx would awaken at last. Felicia, careful, gently opened the girl's mouth, bringing the brim of the glass to her lips. As she poured the water inside, something went wrong. Nyx broke out into a fit of coughs, her eyes snapping open as her hand bolted to the woman's shoulder, gripping it tightly. Frightened, Felicia threw herself back, watching as Nyx brought herself up, clutching her chest as she continued to hack.

  
What the hacking stopped, there came from her a blood curdling screech.

  
"M-Miss Nyx! Please, clam down!" exclaimed the maid, lunging towards her in hopes of catching her. "Clam down! Please, oh please, calm down!"

  
But Nyx did not stop; with what little strength that remained within her, she tried to struggle out of the arms wrapped around her, calling, yelling, exclaiming. The battle went on for a while, Nyx making no progress against the clearly stronger Felicia. At long last, she gave in, falling into the embrace, allowing tears to stream down her cheek, her lips releasing somber wails. Her hands, small, raised up to her face; she sat still, weeping.

  
The most she could say was one statement:

  
"His heart has stopped."

  
The memorial went on without issues; along with Shigure, Azura sang a peaceful song, soft and sweet, at the very beginning. Through out the entire service, Nyx sat at the front, alone, covered in black clothing. Her expression did not change once, though sorrow was more than evident her eyes. A frown stayed plastered on her lips.

  
She had to remind herself; she was now a widow.

  
Of course, she was the only who remained when the service had ended. She stood over him, watching as he rested, her eyes softening. Gentle, she ran her hand over his cheek one last time, feeling bitterness well in her chest; had one not approached her, she may have succumbed to it.

  
To her surprise, Corrin set his hand on her shoulder from behind, making his way to her side. Though started for a moment, she remained relaxed, her eyes refusing to leave what they had fixed themselves upon.

  
"It's nice to see you awake again." he murmured.

  
"Pardon my solemn tone, but I believe it would have done me better had I never woken up."

  
The boy's gaze dulled, his frown arching deeper as he turned away.

  
"I loved Silas too, Nyx... He was a very good friend of mine. He was a friend far better than anything I deserved. As sad as I am to see him like this... I know that this too shall pass. I need to move, not forgetting him, but living on in acceptance. Perhaps we should try to get past this together."

  
Somewhat roughly, she took his hand off her shoulder and dropped it. Quiet, she closed her eyes, her frown deepening.

  
"I understand." she whispered. "But he is not the only thing I am somber for... The last thing I remember before blacking out was fire, surrounded by it, afraid it would consume me, even when I was already consumed by rage." she looked at her palm, little as can be. "Ages ago, in the cockiness of my youth, I tried the casting the exact same spell; you could say I took a bite far bigger than I could chew... Believing I could cast something so extreme at such an inexperienced age just because I displayed talent... I was so foolish." at long last, she turned to him. "What you saw on that battlefield is the very reason why I am cursed, and after using it again, even so many years later, I still may not have been experienced enough to truly be ready to wield it. I fear I may have cursed myself further due to my foolishness once again; I succumbed to my anger, making such impulsive actions."

  
Quiet, Corrin observed her, taking in the smallness of her form with a frown.

  
"It's fine, I'm sure... We all make mistakes, regardless of how long we've been around, right?"

  
"I don't think you understand." she grumbled. "Curses doesn't care whether I'm a mistake-prone mortal or not. Neither does the indelibleness of its nature." she sighed. "In short, child. I believe I have condemned myself to have many miserable years more ahead of me; that is, of course, if I'm not killed sometime sooner or later."

  
"Don't say those things." Corrin's brows furrowed, his fists clenching. "I promise you; there is so much more to life if you open yourself to it; I promise."

  
Nyx was still, gazing at him, and before his very eyes, he saw tears well at the brim of her eye lids. She reached up, barely able to run her fingers over his cheek.

  
"You and Silas... So very much alike. He said those sorts of things all the time..." her hand slid down slowly, landing on the thigh of her right leg. "The carefree bliss of youth... How I'd love to have it again... But with it comes the expense of wisdom, replaced by the foolishness of a child. The audacity and the vanity... It's too big of a price. When I say these things, young one, I say them with years of experience to back them. No pattern is new to me. If you are truly wise for your age, you would not argue with your elders."

  
"I do argue." he said quickly. "I've seen so many lives wrecked by disaster, but reconciliation has always extended its hand to them; those who are happy today are the ones that willingly took it. If you don't believe me, talk with Mozu; she was the only surviving member of her village when a gang of Faceless attacked. Have you seen her? There hasn't been a day when I haven't seen her smile!"

  
Nyx, listening to him, gave him a slight nod, eventually turning herself around as if she was prepared to walk away.

  
"I'm happy for her." she said. "But every walk of life differs from the other; I too have seen death, Corrin. Not just death, abandonment. Perhaps one of these days I'll tell you everything about myself as I told Silas... Assuming you'll receive such information with open arms."

  
"I know your story already." Corrin retorted. "You and Gunter have told me plenty for me to piece it together."

  
"Oh? Recite it then."

  
"You were born into a family of talented mages, showing more promise than any of them. You received all the attention and glory, but in attempt to get even more of what you already had so much of, you casted a spell far beyond even the greatest of a master's league. The result had the spell backfire, accidentally destroying an entire town and laying a curse on yourself. Your family disowned you after that, and you lived many of your years hence in the shadows."

  
He saw a smile creep across her face, making his chest burn; it was a bittersweet sort of smile, not necessarily mocking him, nor mocking herself. In doing so, she slowly shook her head, the black veil covering her face swishing back and forth.   
"Wouldn't that be nice." she murmured. "Don't assume that's all there is to it; there are many things I wouldn't dare tell others I barely know. There is far more detail... Darker detail... Of how truly foolish I was." she stared at him, her face grim. "You wouldn't think I would call myself a monster _just_ because I made a earnest mistake, would you? I am cursed for the wicked things I have done, things I cannot redeem myself for; I believe what has happened just recently is another way my decisions have torn my life apart so many years later... My dear Silas, taken down by a javelin... I suppose it's what I ultimately deserve."

  
It was with that, she walked away, leaving Corrin alone with his best friend.

  
Hence, Nyx had been rather secluded, avoiding crowds, even individuals, when she had the chance. Not many saw much of her, some even speculating she had ran away- perhaps even died. That, however, was simply not the truth. She fancied vacant areas like alleys or distant fields, seldom returning to the center of camp; never did she decide to go back inside her tent, thus, for those at sought her, it was difficult to locate her.

  
When it was mealtime, when the mess hall was full, she would be absent, leaving the room a chair short of being completely maximized. Like always, though, it did not take away to how noisy it was. Aware of her vague patterns, Corrin always requested that whoever was on kitchen duty left a plate out; Nyx would arrive as soon as the hall cleared to take her meals.   
When the girls went to the bath, she was not there to join them. Amongst the lot, there were mixed feelings regarding her absence; some could care less without noticing a difference, others were surprised to see how the tone in the room changed when a head was missing and nothing more, the rest, a dwindling number, felt vacant, almost disappointed that the wisdom which held order lingered no more. People wondered if she had become a hermit, refusing to wash and eat, but in all actuality, she snuck in when the moon had risen and tents were occupied by sleeping bodies, bathing alone so long as another late-night washer had not beaten her there.

  
The only time her face was shown to others was when she had duty at the accessory shop, which was rarely visited anyhow. She spent her working days reading, memorizing tomes as she always had; for the first time in a while, she had not picked up a romance novel, the sort of fiction she had gobbled up since youth. It was a somber sort of thing, as if she as a unique individual was slowly eroding away, being replaced by a machine simply preparing for war.

  
Of course, that was because, after the war was won, she had plans she was ready to put into action.

  
One day at work, though, Nyx was in for a surprise customer; the door opened, causing her back to straighten over the counter she once leaned over. It had been such a long time since a customer had come in, she had forgotten how to greet. However, in her defense, even if she did recall how to properly greet a customer into the store, she may not have known how to greet this customer anyway.

  
Enter the clinking of armor worn by the body of a tall, but very old, man. A scar ran across his face from a skirmish ages ago, a frown on his lips. Upon taking notice of her at the counter, his eyes widened in surprise.

  
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" he said plainly.

  
"Hello Gunter." she replied, closing her tome. "I assume you need something?"

  
"Certainly; Lord Corrin's birthday is fast approaching. I wanted to buy him a gift from here... Of course, as soon as I converse with you. I haven't laid eyes on you in ages it feels; do you have any idea how unhealthy it is to hide from others for so long? And I see that you are still wearing the same clothes you wore to the memorial... Why so?"

  
She narrowed her eyes, propping her chin on a fist as she leaned back over the counter.

  
"I'm a woman in mourning. Don't you have any respect for that? I don't like to talk about it now, so if you have business here I suggest you make it now or I'm closing shop early."

  
"Hear now, I know you cannot close shop whenever you like." the elder approached the counter, leaning against it gently. "You're acting as though I never have any duties around the castle; silly, you're wrong I'm afraid. So now, why not chat into an ear that is concerned?"

  
"What did I just get through telling you? I'm not in the mood to talk."

  
"You've gone quite a while without talking recently, I'm sure." piped the old man. "I would imagine you're dying to spit out some words by now. It's not safe to bottle everything inside you."

  
"I've gone much longer." she challenged. "And I can easily do it again. Last time; do you want to make business or are you done? I'm going in the back of the store if the latter is so since you won't quit pestering me."

  
Gunter paused, observing her with that tired old face of his. They spent a while staring at one another in the silence of the shop. At last, he rose, popping his back with a groan.

  
"A shame I call it..." he said. "I once considered you reasonable in terms of sharing the things that stressed you to relieve yourself. Please, get me a circlet like yours for Lord Corrin. I'm quite sure it would look good on him."

  
Without a word, Nyx turned away, hopping off the stool which allowed her to see above the counter. She wandered around the shop, digging through crate after crate before finally pulling out what was requested of her. As she walked back to the counter, she gave him a cold stare.

  
"Just so you know, Gunter, I am good at sharing the things that stress me; but the one person I knew could give me the comfort I needed in return is dead now." as they exchanged, the circlet for currency, she sighed. "And a friendly word of advice; don't go around thinking you have everybody figured out. If I had the time to tell you all the calamity assumption has put me in..."


	5. My Heart is Explained

Unbeknownst to Nyx, Gunter was at the accessory shop for reasons far more than simply purchasing a gift; he was sent by Corrin, who had intentions of observing her actions around others besides himself. He was not pleased to receive the results later on that stormy night.

  
Felicia allowed the old man inside after he was through playing a few knocks on the door of their private quarters; unaware of the situation between her husband and he, she was puzzled to receive him, but, after brief explanation, she guided him to their bedroom, where Corrin lay resting. Upon the arrival of the two, Corrin rose, paying them eye as they spilled inside.

  
"Good evening, milord." announced the old man. "I've come to deliver the results as you requested of me."

  
"Good." Corrin set his feet on the floor, stretching with a moan. Felicia, watching the two in the meantime, laced her fingers over her stomach; her eyes darted back and forth with concern.

  
"Um..." she started awkwardly. "The matter sounds confidential... Do I need to be taking my leave?"

  
"No." her husband replied. "If anything, we would need your womanly input in the matter." his eyes went to Gunter, where he nodded. "Proceed. Can I assume she's doing better?"

  
Gunter's fade dropped, a sigh rumbling in his throat as he closed his eyes. Though he wished otherwise, he slowly shook his head, listening to rain pelt the roof above their heads.

  
"Not in the slightest." he answered. "She still sports widow's clothing and offered quite a grouchy mood towards me, worsening when I persisted in coaxing her into speaking. She continues to take the loss terribly hard..."

  
Corrin's frown deepened.

  
"And here I had figured she would have spoken with you, seeing that you're probably the closest match to her age and experience... How long has it been? A month? I know it takes some more time to recover than others, but they at least make progress during that time. To me it sounds as though she hasn't made any at all."

  
"I wouldn't imagine her to make any at this rate." Gunter sighed. "I noticed something curious when I payed her a visit; she studied a tome as she maintained the shop. Now, if my memory serves me correctly, I do recall her brining up to me that she took quite well to reading novels because it allowed her to escape the horrors of this world... For a woman in mourning, it's quite strange that she would not seek comfort material and take to studying instead."

  
Felicia, having figured out who and what the conversation surrounded, gazed at him with interest.

  
"That's... That is quite strange. Do you think there to be a motive for this sort of behavior?"

  
"Indeed." the man nodded. "Though I shudder to consider what that motive has such a chance of being... She plans to remain and lend her strength until the war is over, but the moment Lord Xander is crowned the new King of Nohr and peace spreads through the land, she will disappear, ushering herself to death."

  
Corrin, alarmed at the thought himself, felt his eyes narrow. Slowly, he shook his head.

  
"As much as I hate to admit... I can see such a thing to be true. The only reason why she hasn't let something, including herself, kill her by now is us... Us and our cause."

  
To their surprise, there played another knock on the door the moment his lips shut. Their faces perked in curiosity, Felicia straightening herself as she headed to tend answer. She fondled the locks and latches, then pulled the door open just a pinch; there, she peered outside with caution. For just a moment, the maid stood still, baffled by whatever it was she saw; at last, she announced it:

  
"Why hello there, Nyx." she said, warning the two behind her. "Is there something we can do for you?"

  
It was Nyx indeed that stood in the doorway, her wet hair matted down, her black clothes drenched. The rain behind her poured down, creating lakes out of holes. Her gaze hardened, frown deepening.

  
"I hate asking things from people, but I need a place for the night."

  
"Oh dear! Has your tent flooded?"

  
"The tent fine, but staying there is out of the question." her brows furrowed. "If you don't want me here, I completely understand. I can find someone else to ask if it's absolutely necessary."

  
Corrin appeared over Felicia's shoulder, his face stern.

  
"Let her in." he said. "She can stay the night."

  
And so, after Gunter took his leave, Corrin and Felicia worked to set up a pallet on the floor using what little they had, like the blankets and sheets laying atop their bed. In the meantime, obeying Corrin's command, Nyx sat before a fire, drying herself and her clothes. Seldom did they meet eyes, seeing that Nyx kept her gaze low, refusing to lift it.

  
The bed had been stripped entirely, leaving only a pillow to spare from the floor. Upon finishing, the two workers rose, sighing as they looked down at their handiwork; it wasn't anything marvelous, but it sufficed even so.

  
"Alright." Corrin announced before turning to the girl. "It's ready when you are."

  
"You have my gratitude." she murmured. "I wouldn't have asked this of you had there not been such a downpour tonight."

  
"There doesn't even have to be a downpour for you to be welcome here." Corrin murmured. "Got that?"

  
Though Nyx said nothing, he knew she agreed.

  
The three spent their time sipping away at tea freshly prepared by Felicia and listening to the sounds of the storms. Amongst their short lived conversations, Corrin laughed, cracking a joke out of the blue.

  
"If it pours any harder, the whole army may need to stay the night in here."

  
Ultimately, though, not a single visitor more payed them a visit. When the clock told of late hours, Corrin finally stretched, laying himself down on the blanket-less mattress, Felicia following after him. The fire slowly began to dwindle in size, but left Nyx dry, her hair nor clothes no longer sticking to her face. The air around them calmed, Nyx finally paying the pallet on the floor a visit. As she lay, the blankets pulled up to her nose, she listened to the quiet pillow talk on the bed above her. Some words were words she couldn't distinguish, the others she could pick up simply discussed the day, plain as can be. She found no place in the conversation, eventually giving herself to a light state of slumber. Slowly, she was slipping into a dream before long, a dream she wouldn't remember when she awoke; from the dreariness of such a vision, she heard her name.

  
"Nyx." she struggled, her brows furrowing. "Nyx. I would like to speak with you."

  
Her eyes opened, seeing the room that was barely lit by a perishing fire. Slowly, she looked up, seeing Corrin's blood red gaze staring down at her; Felicia lay motionless at his side, asleep most likely, not budging an inch, even when her partner leaned over the edge of the bed. For a while, as she tried to wrestle herself free from the beckoning calls of sleep, Nyx stared back at him.

  
"You said something?" she inquired groggily, to which he nodded.

  
"Yeah." he replied simply. "I've been wanting to speak with you, so I figured now would be a good time." when she didn't object, he looked around, frowning. "I remember a while ago, when I was speaking with Gunter, I was told that you destroyed a town on accident when attempting an advanced spell... And as a result, you were cursed." he propped his head up with a fist. "You said that wasn't the whole story, that you were cursed for more than a mistake; I need to hear it."

  
Nyx shut her eyes, sighing with a frown. Softly, she adjusted the pillow beneath her head, fluffing it, then rolling over.

  
"So you want to know the true foolishness of my youth..." she murmured. "On a dark and stormy night, the room lit only by the steady glow of a fire... It's like something out of a book, wouldn't you think? How fitting." another sigh escaped her lips. "I suppose I've hid myself from others long enough. I hope I'm not mistaken in trusting that you would react honestly.. I won't be angry with you however you choose to take it."

  
"This sounds like something bad."

  
"It is. It's... Perhaps beyond just 'bad'... My talents as a dark Mage baffled many, including my own father, who I held with such high regard. To think... To think I would someday best my father... It was a thought that flattered my already bloated mind." she rolled over again, looking up at him stiffly. "I'm sure you're familiar of the ways of children; you have one of your own, and it wasn't too long ago you were once a child yourself. So tell me, what happens when a child has an inflated ego?"

  
Corrin's eyes narrowed.

  
"Um..." he started. "It starts acting as though nothing else matters in the world except itself."

  
"Precisely, Corrin." she nodded. "To have such an immature thing wielding such devastating power... It all rushed to my head. I didn't see people as people, I saw them as means to sharpen my abilities, targets to hunt and kill for sport. Not once had there ever been a time when I thought there had been enough bloodshed by my hand, I was too drunk on power to care about about was happening or what I was doing... I was so fixed on getting more, so fixed on becoming the most powerful mage that ever walked the earth; I knew I could reach such a goal if I wanted it badly enough, for it was my family that told me I had promise regardless of what path I chose to walk down. People from all over knew my name and my face; when I walked into town, the first thing villagers would do is dart inside their houses, taking cover from the potentiality of my wrath; it was such a thrilling thing for a power-hungry child to see, only deepening my cravings. But finally, my vanity drove me to attempt a spell so vile and heinous it even sent chills down my father's spine. It was true I made a mistake while casting it, but destroying the entire village was not the aftermath of such; that part was my intention all along, the opposite of the stories I have told others such as you and Gunter. What the mistake caused was a curse placed upon me, a curse which would never be lifted.

  
"My family would have nothing to do with me after they saw the village, nothing but ashes, baffled by the atrocities committed by their daughter. It opened my eyes, and only then did I truly see the devastation I had wrecked, the wrong I had wrought. I ran into the woods, then, disappearing into the dark. I lived so long after that alone, stealing my meals and sleeping in alleys; many times more than I can could, I contemplated suicide... Coming frighteningly close to doing so a handful of instances. The loneliness became unbearable, the shame seeping so deep it seemed to have a stench. All hope I had... I lost it before long, bound to never receive it again."

  
The room grew quiet, only having the sounds of a crawling fire. A log, becoming skinny, broke half, embers soaring into the air, but never escaping far enough bring a threat. Corrin lay still, looking down at the girl before him; his face wasn't clear, as though he was struggling to process the weight that had been thrown upon him.

  
"So... The things you told Gunter and I..."

  
"Yes, they were distortions of the truth, used in the name of preserving my image before others." she scoffed. "Oh brother, it must be a crime to lie to you with a history such as mine; you have my apologies..."

  
"N-No... I probably would have done the same... Especially when... So much guilt bubbled inside of me..."

  
"I've been undergoing much lately, during the month of being by myself. I've had plenty of time to contemplate myself, observing and weighing the troubles and fortunes that I've encountered over the course of so many years. I used to feel angry and nervous over my this curse, beating myself over and over again, so hateful for the things I had done to so many innocents... Many whose faces I didn't bother to record... No longer am I at the point of anger. I suppose you could say I have reached acceptance. Until the day I die, I will be stuck in this cursed body, but anger has no place within me, for I cannot go back and change the crimes I had committed. I cannot atone for my dirty sins, no matter what I do. In the end, I can do nothing but blame myself and not expect much good to come..."

  
"You believe you'll never be happy? That's an awful thing to say!" his brows furrowed. "I'm glad that you've accepted what's what, but thinking... Thinking that you'll never be happy because of what's what... I won't stand and take that."

  
Slowly, she ran a hand over her forehead, grazing the tips of her fingers nails over the symbols etched on her skin.

  
"Do you want to hear my honesty? I'm frightened, Corrin." she said roughly. "I'm frightened because, even after so many years of living with it, I still do not know what else this curse can do to me besides prohibit my growth. I've started to wonder lately, about Silas... Was his death just another casualty of war? Or was it perhaps an arrangement of fate? I've taken the lives of so many people, all dear to someone else; it's my turn now to have someone dear taken from me as payback. Though I cannot ever fully repay for the things I've done, regardless of how long I roam the earth, I'm forced to pay with what little I have. Those dear to me... I fear for their lives. I can't associate myself with them any longer, for I fear they may share the same untimely end as Silas, the one I held dearest."

  
Corrin nodded.

  
"That would explain why you've been avoiding people more than usual." he murmured. "I don't like that. You're going to kill yourself once the war's over, aren't you? You should take the time and enjoy those who love you before you go off all by yourself forever." 

  
He heard her huff, an arm thrown over her eyes.

  
"You children are more perceptive than I gave you credit for." she commented lowly. "Well done figuring out my intentions; yes, I believe my time is drawing nigh. Of course, I can't simply leave you during a war, a war in which you are outnumbered in each battle; I shall lend you my all, using that abominable tome to win your battles, cursing myself further... It doesn't matter in the end, for when it is all over, when your endeavors are reached and all is well, I shall take my leave to join Silas in the afterlife. It is there, the curse cannot affect me any further."

  
"... I see..." Corrin sounded, his voice dull. "I understand, seeing that I have no control over you and what you do with your life... But promise me that you'll at least enjoy yourself with us? Please? We all want to know you... I want to know you... Promise me you'll at least humor that?"

  
He saw her frown, her breathing slowing; she rolled over one last time.

  
"I'll consider it." she spoke. "Let me sleep and I should hopefully have an answer when dawn breaks, sound fair?"

  
"Absolutely." Corrin smiled slightly as he returned his back to the mattress. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. "Good night, Nyx." 

Her response, the same words as his, were delayed. 


	6. My Heart is Distant

Unfortunately, Corrin's hopes were for naught; the week following her visit of his private quarters, Corrin had barely seen any of Nyx. As if she were a vapor, she disappeared into thin air. During what little leisure time he had, he went around camp, asking if any knew of her whereabouts; his results were nothing short of what he expected from the less involved troops.

  
Charlotte, busy fiddling with her face in the reflection of a bucket of water, simply shrugged.

  
Xander didn't know who Nyx even was; after Corrin explained, he still bore no fruit.

  
Midori, even after touring the entire camp atop her puppet, could not recollect catching eye of her.

  
Kaze didn't move around much, such was why Corrin had second thoughts about asking.

  
Beruka said she never payed much attention towards her, thus explaining why she too had no answers.

  
Even Nina, whose eyes were supposed to be practically everywhere, had no idea.

  
Finally, though, Corrin struck a vein of luck when he approached Niles; he was standing around, harassing Keaton, when Corrin finally approached him. Niles' brows raised when his ears were introduced to the question, a sly grin spreading across his face afterwards.

  
"Whoa, you've been relentless looking for this girl; I've heard word around the camp that you've been going around asking every face you ran into."

  
"Please, Niles, answer my question." Corrin sighed.

  
"Oh, me? Like heck I know where she's hiding. Why don't you ask one-sniff-wonder over here." the man motioned to the irritated Keaton standing beside him. With a huff, Keaton crossed his arms, giving Niles a dirty look.

  
"Hey, Corrin, why don't you get this guy off my back? He keep pestering me like a flea." one of his ears raised. "Oh, and that magic girl? I saw her reading behind the shelf up front; she wasn't really in the talking mood, so heads up."

  
Relieved, Corrin sighed, closing his eyes at long last; his work wasn't done, though, so it was no time to relax. He nodded, gave Niles an order to go off and do something else (knowing him, he'd probably find something worse to do), then made his way to the head of the camp. There, after walking up a few stairs onto a platform, he carefully gazed around. Sure enough, he found the lost girl exactly where Keaton had said; she sat behind the shelf, eyes shut, a hand over a tome.

  
Carefully, he approached her, kneeling down before her. A couple of snaps of the finger in front of her face drew her out of her trance, her eyes narrowing.

  
"Ah. Corrin." she said, almost unenthusiastic. "You found me it seems; the wolfskin must have told you where I was."

  
As he nodded, Corrin cleared his throat.

  
"Yeah... So what are you doing back here?"

  
"Well, I was meditating before I was interrupted." she answered. "I know what you're asking on the inside, Corrin; don't avoid the question. Forgive me, I have decided not to associate myself with people anymore, not unless I must to assure victory over the war."

  
Since, Corrin had been in an ill mood, though failing to show it. Only those closest to him, such as his siblings, Azura, or his wife, were able to detect it; even so, they said nothing about it to him, knowing the impulsiveness which was an angered Corrin. Well, there were two brave souls, Leo and Xander, that dared to approach him later on that day.

  
The sun had started to set, hiding itself behind the distant mountains. Crickets had commenced their singing, Laslow preparing for his nightly practices, Shigure gushed over the beauty of the dusk as he rushed to grab a canvas. It was a typical, but ever lovely, evening, the troops in high spirits. Even Nyx, departing from her hiding place behind the shelf, took the time to gaze at the golden sky with a slight smile. Corrin was not out to enjoy the evening, however; he sat in his quarters, associating with Felicia, who sat next to him. Worry was in her eyes, almost begging to ask what would cause such distress in him... But ultimately, she couldn't find a bone in her body that was willing to inquire. That was why she was thankful to see two strangers appear, knocking on the doorframe to their room.

  
"Hello." Greeted the younger, Leo. "May we come inside?"

  
It was over a few cups of tea the four talked, Xander the most interested in what had Corrin down. He was more than happy to explain, but afterwards, perhaps as a result of lingering over the matter longer, his attitude went down again.

  
Unbeknownst to them, he had an idea in mind.

  
As they continued chatting, sipping away at their tea, Corrin set his empty cup on the saucer below; at last, he sighed, then rose.

  
"Xander... Leo..." he began, suddenly grim. Almost immediately, the two brothers noticed the seriousness in his tone, straightening to listen. "I'm very glad you came this evening... I've been thinking very hard lately. There... There's something I want to do. And I need your clear judgement as guidance. I don't want to be making an impulsive mistake... It's nothing we can afford."

  
"Oh?" asked Xander, raising a brow. "Judging by your tone, I would conjecture it is over the widow."

  
"Very closely, yes." Corrin replied. Slowly, with the three watching him, his feet took him to the other side of the room. When he kneeled down, setting his hands on an old chest in the corner, Felicia's eyes widened.

  
"M-Milord?" she whispered as he fondled with the locks, allowing the to chest creak open. Seeing the concern in the woman's tone, Xander and Leo rose, making their way to Corrin; standing over him, they gazed down on what lay inside the chest. Like Felicia, their eyes widened as well.

  
Inside lay nothing but a staff, one which looked older than time itself. Its wood had become petrified and smooth, lines carved inside, symbols of unknown origin etched deep into its skin. Fraying ribbons were tied around its top, laying sprawled out over the bottom of the trunk. At the very crown was a cloudy jewel, once sapphire, but now turning green. With a sigh, Leo straightened his back.

  
"Biföst." he observed. "One of the most powerful staves in all the world."

  
"I've kept it here in case we ever needed it..." Corrin muttered. "I've never known when would be the best time, but..."

  
"I see where you're heading with this." Xander spoke up, beckoning him to rise. Standing before him, gazing down with a frown, he sighed. "You're considering to use this to bring back your fallen friend."

  
Corrin winced.

  
"If it's he we're going to use it on, it won't be for me." he whispered. "It's very true that Silas was a great friend of mine... But thats not my reason. No. I want this to be for Nyx. She's... She's been through so much... And Silas meant so much to her."

  
"Do keep in mind it is a one time use stave, brother." Leo reminded grimly. "It is vital to be wise in using it."

  
"Well it's not supposed to just sit there and look pretty either." Felicia muttered in addition. "Surely there's a logical or tactical way it's use will benefit us... Right?"

  
Leo, after setting a finger on his chin, looked up to the ceiling, allowing the gears in his tactically-minded head to turn. He closed his eyes, breathing a sigh before beginning to hum. During this time, Xander turned to Corrin, his frown stiffening.

  
"Silas was a talented cavalier. He had quite a work ethic as well. Our loss of him was great wound to our army, meaning that having him back would definitely benefit us."

  
"That is true..." muttered Leo, revived form his thoughts. "But that Mage of ours... She holds much more value in terms of usefulness in battle. Would you think her capabilities would be hindered by the death of her husband?"

  
Corrin gazed to the side.

  
"I would imagine surely so. We haven't gone to battle in a while, so I cannot say for sure..."

  
"Then perhaps it would be wise to use this stave on him; if we cannot use the mage to her full potential, we may be in for a troublesome war. We all saw her capabilities; the proficiency she houses in fell magic is not something to laugh at. I know we cannot have her use that spell all the time, but it is always wise to have a reliable plan we can fall back on should things not go our way."

  
Corirn frowned.

  
"That's the thing, Leo..." he whispered. "She plans on dying when the war's over... Meaning she'll fight as though she has nothing to lose."

  
"My, that's a game changer." muttered Leo in return, furrowing his brows. "If she fights with nothing to lose, then she'll most likely wreck the battlefield with fell magic... Our victory will be sealed with such a force behind us. If that is truly so, it would be the most unwise to resurrect our man in question. Of course, that's what's what in terms of battle tactics..."

  
Xander grimaced.

  
"The choice is ultimately yours, brother. We've given you our input, now it is time you made the decisions. After all, this is your army in the end. Do be wise with your choices, I feel I should advise. Here's an idea if you still cannot make your mind: gather together all your troops and present the plan. Listen to their response. Many have lost loved ones to this needless war, it is important that you keep them in mind so that you will not appear favoring in some and negligent to the rest."

  
Corrin took well to Xander's proposal; the next day, over breakfast, he made his announcement at the front of the mess hall, getting the room to quiet with the help of a spoon and a glass. After clearing his throat, he gazed out at them, noticing every set of eyes was now on him. Though he had second thoughts, he went on with his plan, raising his voice high enough to carry to the majority; after a moment of scouting for the face of Nyx, he proceeded further.

  
The army took the proposal with mixed feelings, some in favor, others leery of a positive response. When the uproar broke out, a flash of red spread itself on his face, his grip on the glass in his hand tightening. Again, he beat the spoon against it, giving way to a subtle clink; it didn't do much against the shouts which came from the several mouths. Noticing the struggle, Benny rose, a shout rumbling his throat.

  
"Attention!" he roared.

  
The room quieted, staring at the front once again. Relieved, Corrin sighed, then pat Benny's shoulder.

  
"Thank you..." he murmured. "I know... I know this is news to all of you. I first want you all to know that I didn't want to make a decision this important without first hearing your opinions... I want to do this in an orderly fashion, so please, remain calm. We're taking a vote... And for those that have lost loved ones just as Nyx... I completely understand why you would be against this decision, so I will not condemn your choice, nor ridicule you... Now, please, a show of hands of those in favor..."


	7. My Heart is at Peace

Night fell once again, the sky littered by stars. Many were out this night, enjoying the view from a hill. Kana, not allowed to see her father at the time, was playing a game of tag with the puppet-bound Midori. Elise, chatting away with Azura, her newly recovered sister, went on and on about the constellations Xander had taught her. Laslow, taking the night off from his practice, took the time to relish the night with Selena, throwing one word of flattery after the other. Beruka, for once, set work aside to enjoy herself.

  
Almost everyone was mingling this eventful night, all except one, who resided at the front of the camp, asleep behind the shelf. It had been a while since she slept so soundly, hence the reason why she didn't notice the light footsteps that slowly made their way over to her; she was too deep in a dream to sense a body kneel before hers.

  
What she did notice was a hand that pat her shoulder, nudging her awake. Her eyes, now attentive, bolted open, a hand rushing to her book bag by sheer impulse. When a voice sounded, she was calmed into stillness.

  
"Shh, shh, Nyx, Nyx." the voice said, beckoning her to settle herself. Soon, she would recognize it to be the tone of Corrin; calming, she heaved a sigh.

  
"You should know better than to scare the daylight out of someone." she muttered, feeling her heart beating quickly.

  
"I'm sorry about that... I didn't mean to, honest."

  
"Very well. Is there something you wanted? Or did you just come to wake me up for the giggles of it?"

  
Swift, Corrin shook his head, rising to his feet. Towering over her, he offered his hand.

  
"There is something I want." he said calmly. "Please, will you come with me?"

  
She gazed at his hand with prejudice for a while, unsure of his intentions. Luckily, her trust in him ran deeply, leading her to humor his offer gently. They trudged through the darkness of the camp together, slowly making their way to Corrin's private quarters. No matter how many times Nyx inquired, Corrin would not give her his reasons for taking her; even when she began threatening not to follow him due to his reluctance, he kept on, soon taking her by the hand and dragging her.

  
The first thing she noted about his quarters was the darkness, which ran deeply, soaking into their skin. What little light there was came from a few candles, all lit, but spaced far apart. His bedroom wasn't particularly spacious tonight; inside gathered a number of people, a few of which she recognized. One was Gunter, the second Felicia, the third Leo, Xander fourth, Camilla fifth... But the one she recognized the most was he that lay motionless on the bed, his hands still at his side, his eyes lightly shut. A hole was gorged in his center.

  
Shocked, Nyx froze in place at the doorframe, refusing to move. Immediately, her face grew red, an unidentifiable expression sweeping across her face and widening eyes. She clenched her fists before long, stiffening.

  
"W-What is the meaning of this?" she hissed, furrowing her brows. Corrin, walking around her, took her hands into his, tugging her gently in hopes of bringing her to the center of the room.

  
"I promise all will be explained... Just come a little closer."

  
Though she was slightly reluctant, she complied, taking tiny steps forth, gradually making her way into the room, her skin soaking in the golden light of the candle. Every one of the others, standing at the sides of the room, stood straight, their gases fixed on her. Never fond of attention, she quickly grew more uncomfortable.

  
She stared at the bed, studying the body which lay atop of it; without a doubt, it was the body she thought it to be, yet to erode, but quickly on its way. A sense of grief swept over her. She had to restraint the need to reach out, to stroke the face she had grown to miss.

  
"So... You've unearthed him." she whispered. "Disturbing the peace? I didn't know the lot of you to act in such a way..."

  
Corrin approached her, a stick in his hands; when he held it out her, her eyes widened.

  
"We didn't mean to disrupt him." he murmured. "Do you know what this is?"

  
She nodded slightly, her eyes shutting coolly.

  
"...Yes." she answered softly. "Bifröst, the resurrection stave... Good for only one use."

  
"I've saved this for a long time. I was always waiting for a case in which we really needed it. The army and I have reached a decision, Nyx: we're finally going to put it to use."

  
The group was surprised to see her head sink, her shoulders dropping. To their shock, tears then welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks bitterly.

  
"Please, then... Explain to me... Why you've chosen him..."

  
At a loss for words, Corrin frowned.

  
"It should be obvious. We can't stand watching you widowed. We want you to smile again- to show you can find happiness even after cursing... I brought you here to have your say, to have your permission to use it."

  
"There are many widows here, Corrin." she growled, her voice thickening. "What makes me so much different from the rest that you would consider using something... Something like this..."

  
"If you truly have nothing else to live for, then we want you to have him back." he replied, rough. "This wasn't just my decision alone; the whole army voted on this. I have their okay. All we need to seal the deal is you. Your permission is all we need... Please, think about it now."

  
The silence lingered then after, Nyx's face starting to whiten. Her legs started to tremble, her posture slouching. She began to weep, clutching the sides of her head, her breath hitching.

  
"You foolish children... Putting all this pressure on this tired old soul... You know... Exactly... What I'd... Say.." with that, her body grew limp as her eyes rolled back, losing structure and falling. Alarmed, Xander rushed forth to catch her light body in his strong arms; after a moment of studying her, he sighed, then picked her up, holding her like a bride.

  
"She's fainted." he muttered. "I can't find anything in me to blame her with all the stress this situation would create."

  
Corrin grimaced.

  
"I'll take those final words as a yes then." he muttered, turning to Felicia. Immediately, upon seeing him looking to her, she grew evidently nervous. "Alright, Felicia... It's time."

  
She gasped.

  
"M-Milord, are you s-sure I can... I can do this? What-what if I'm mistaken? What if I go wrong somewhere? This is something too valuable for me to mess up!"

  
She paused when his hand set itself on her head, patting it gently.

  
"Shh." he hushed. "I know you can. If I didn't think you could have, I would have asked Jakob to do it instead."

  
In a nervous, wreck, Felicia took a moment to catch her breath, then reached for the staff with trembling hands. She studied the relic for a moment, burying her teeth in her lips; though she wasn't aware, those surrounding her were more than willing to give her all the time she needed... And a good while it was until she breathed out, holding the rod in both hands.

  
The jewel on its crown began to glow, and the moment it's bottom touched the ground, the room was lit by a blinding light.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
The following day, nearing evening once again, Nyx's tired eyes finally slid open, her mouth ejaculating an exhausted moan. Her eyes worked to locate herself, failing no matter how hard she tried; when she decided to force herself completely awake, only then was she able to see the bigger picture. To her surprise, she found herself in Corrin's room, lying atop the red covers of his bed. She knew such for a fact, seeing the puppet in the corner and familiar bookshelf against the wall; even the color had a sense of familiarity.

  
Lost in a daze, she groaned, feeling a pulsing headache coming along; unwelcoming, she clutched her head tightly as she rolled over, curling up against... Something. In an instant, her headache took a detour, replaced by curiosity, perhaps even fright. Slowly, she lifted her head, laying eyes upon her neighbor with wonder clouding in her once cold eyes. No sight could possibly bring her to tears faster.

  
He was there, his gray hair roughed up like always, eyes lightly shut, his lips barely parted. His chest was barren, but his belly just a ways underneath lay covered in a mass of bandages. His calloused, yet young, hands lay limply at his sides, open, ready to take hold of something...

  
From his lips came breath, his chest rising and falling in the slow patterns of sweet slumber. His cheeks were rosy and flushed, flowing with blood. Beneath the muscle of his chest, there sounded a steady beat.

  
For just a moment, Nyx sat still, unable to take the sight in completely. She thought her visions illusions, sights conceived from a dream of desire and grief... Yet the more she stared, the more real the sight became. Her fingers reached out to him cautiously, fearing she would feel nothing when she set them against him; she thought wrong, for the moment her palm met his cheek, she was greeted by the ever familiar warmth of his living skin.

  
She buried her face in his nape, taking him into her small arms, embracing him tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wept into his ear, hoping to never have to return to from a dream such as this. As she continued, she felt a pair of arms rise over her back, pulling her closer; strong hands began to rub her shoulders.

  
"I knew you'd be the first thing I'd see when I woke up." a whisper sounded. "I hoped, and I knew... And here you are..." his embrace tightened. "Here you are again... With me..."

  
Her weeping became wails, her face burning deeper into the depth of his neck; she shook her head violently before pulling her head back up; a sigh she never thought to see again was there to meet her. Light green eyes, peppy as a singing lark's. A soft, easy smile on his smooth lips. A healthy flush covering his cheeks.

  
"You..." she wept. "Even when I told you to be careful... I ought to kill you right here, right now."

  
He grinned, his flush deepening.

  
"Yes, but you won't, right?" he pulled himself up to her face, placing his lips on her own; their eyes closed peacefully, their arms clinging to the other as though they were afraid. They leaned back together, the back of his head hitting a pillow; the moment they parted, gasping for breath, they were eager for more, and quick to ease their desires.

  
They embraced for the longest of times, laying on top of that bed for hours, even those that led into the night. Their talk became gentle, Nyx placing her ear upon his chest; she listened to his beating heart forever, treasuring it, lulled by it. When they finally fell back asleep for the night, they fell asleep soundly, their heads pressed firmly against each other's, fingers intertwined tightly.

  
He planted one little peck on her lips before nodding off, venturing to the world of recovery.

  
Another night, sometime later, when all the excitement surrounding Silas' return died down, the two returned to their tent, returning Corrin and Felicia their bed. It was a pleasant night, the two laying next to one another; of course, their chatter wasn't loud enough to rouse their sleeping comrades. After all, their tent defected just a little ways from the central of camp, lending them their privacy.

  
They were happy, discussing small things for once; the world was light, airy almost; perhaps it was cloud nine they were on, bound to never return to the ground. Little did they mind; they were too lost in the peace to care.

  
"Silas." Nyx said suddenly, curled against him. "Can I ask a favor of you?"

  
In response, he grinned.

  
"I suppose. It's the most I can offer in return for leaving you..."

  
"I would like it to be where you'll never leave again."

  
Quickly, the air of lightness dimmed, silence using nothing but the chirps of crickets and the hoo's of owls. Silas paused, gazing at her with a look of surprise; he knew what she asked of him, though she never spelled it out. The mere thought made his cheek redden, the beat in his chest quickening.

  
"You... Want to cast the lifeline spell..." he whispered. As he contemplated, he heard Corrin's voice echoing through his head. It demanded him to be more careful, for he had explained the behavior of Nyx during his absence. He remembered listening to Corrin, his heart sinking; deep down, before she had even brought the question onto the table, he was wondering.

  
"I've had my share of alone time." she said. "Going away didn't do much good for me."

  
"Yeah, yeah... I've been told..." he took her small hand, lightly placing his lips on the roof. "I've been told..."

  
"And?"

  
"I would like to be close to you before I decide."

  
He watched her raise a brow.

  
"Why?" she asked. "Hoping I'll fall asleep as soon as we're done?" chuckling, he nodded as he rolled over, laying on top of her. He proceeded to get started, feeling her fingers run though his ratty hair; she sighed happily, patting his shoulder. "Take it easy, now. Those stitches in your belly won't feel any better if you're rough."

  
"When am I ever rough?"

  
She too laughed.

  
"Good point. Don't make tonight the first."

  
"Certainly."

  
They proceeded, their sounds covered by the orchestra of the night. Their happiness knew no bounds, wrapped together, smiling; the relief which washed over both of them left them satisfied, tangled upon finishing. They lay still in the dark for a while, their quick hearts slowly calming; it was a long while until one of them, Silas, spoke.

  
"Okay..." he murmured. "Nyx, my darling wife... Have your way. I'll let you do what you need... So that you'll never be alone again. So long as I am here, you are. So long as I am roaming the afterlife, you shall roam by my side."

  
She smiled, bringing a hand to his cheek, running her fingers down his warm skin.

  
"Thank you." she whispered softly.

  
And thus, their night ended. Any who passed their tent would see a glow, sea green. It grew brighter the longer it lingered... And through the choir of the night, a soft tone of an ancient tongue could be heard, whispering words of commitment.

                                                                                        THE END

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap. Congratulations if you trudged through this thing. Feedback is always appreciated in the comments section, as is constructive criticism. Thank you and have a brilliant day.


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